PTDI and Eurocopter signed a contract last Friday when Eurocopter`s deputy senior president for sales and customer relations, Olivier Lambert, visited the Indonesian aircraft company, a PTDI spokesman said on Monday.

"With the signing of the contract for the supply of EC725s, PTDI is now entering a new era of cooperation with Eurocopter and, consequently, it will increase the capability of our company to stand on par with leading rotor airplane makers," PTDI president director Budi Santoso said.

Since 2008 PTDI had been involved in the manufacture of EC225 and EC725 tail booms and complete airframe assemblies in Bandung, West Java. "Therefore, we have good experience with these helicopters," he said.

The contract for the supply of the six combat-proven multi-role helicopters in the 11-ton class was signed by the Indonesian Defence Ministry and PTDI on March 12, 2012.

The twin-engine EC725 helicopter is a member of Eurocopter`s Super Puma/Cougar family. Since early in the 1990s PTDI has produced the SA330 Puma and AS332 Super Puma helicopters in Bandung to meet demand from the TNI AU.

PTDI has thus far produced 340 planes of different types, with fixed wings and rotor wings, for 49 military and civilian operators in various countries.(E004)